How do you get a digital dial indicator to read in labview?

[Richard @ GE]

I have a digital dial indicator which I uses a USB conection.  the deviece says it is working in MAX but I can not get it to display any numbers in max.  I have also tried to set it up in a VI with a DAQ but the DAQ does not find the device.  Can anyone help?

[smercurio_fc]

You say it is working in MAX, but you cannot get it to dispay a value. Then what do you mean by working? What is the specific device that you are using? The DAQ VIs will only work with NI products. Is it? If not, then you need to use the drivers that came with the device. If you did not get drivers then you need to check with the manufacturer of the device.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Please provide some more information. How does the device appear in MAX? Does it show up as a serial port? If so, perhaps you have to send it a command in order for it to send data. If it's a serial port connection, I would recomend that you do your initial communications tests with a program like Hyperterminal.

You should also provide the make and model of the device. If you have an electronic copy of the manual, attach that to your post.

p.s. NI DAQ has nothing to do with your device

[Richard @ GE]

The device is a digital dial indicator made by B.C. Ames. 

It shows up in max as a serial port and I have test the connection with hyperterminal.  (It works)

I would like to get the reading to of the indicator to show up in LabView and capture the min and max.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Good, you know the serial settings

I'll repeat my earlier question. Do you have to send any command to the instrument before it sends data? What code have you written in LabVIEW and exactly what happens? Any error codes or messages? If so, what are they?

[Richard @ GE]

Using hyperterminal I have to press a button on the cable connecting the insturment to the computer for it to record a value. 

I have not written any code yet for labview.  I have only tried to figure out how to get LabView to see the device but have not been able to acomplish that. 

[smercurio_fc]

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Richard @ GE wrote:

Using hyperterminal I have to press a button on the cable connecting the insturment to the computer for it to record a value. 

I have not written any code yet for labview.  I have only tried to figure out how to get LabView to see the device but have not been able to acomplish that. 

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By "record a value" I am interpreting this to mean that you are seeing text appear in HyperTerminal. In this case the reason why you are seeing "stuff" in HyperTerminal but not in MAX is that HyperTerminal is continuously running and spitting out whatever is on the serial port. The MAX test panels don't work that way. If you open the Example Finder and look at the Basic Serial Write and Read VI you will see that the read part of that VI checks to see how many bytes are on the serial port and reads that many. If you put this inside a loop then you will get an equivalent to what HyperTerminal does.